


quiet winter afternoon

by nerdlordholocron



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: (I mean hopefully not but yknow), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Hair Braiding, Team as Family, but they're just chilling now, just so much fluff because nobody can fucking stop me, set a couple months after rescuing everyone, the resurrection ritual worked with some complications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 20:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15445647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdlordholocron/pseuds/nerdlordholocron
Summary: In Which the Nein enjoy some downtime between missions back in Zadash, nobody can escape Jester, and everyone admits to some extent that they like each other a lot.(Written with the assumption that the resurrection ritual succeeds despite some weird shit happening, because I do what I want.)





	quiet winter afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies to Beau, Yasha, and Fjord; I love them but juggling four people at once was the best I could do at the moment. Maybe I'll write the other part while they're out shopping later.

It has been far too long, Molly thinks, since the Nein have had proper downtime. Or in other words, it's about damn time.

True, Zadash is not as restful as it was when they first arrived, with the war building, the matter of Lucien's lingering specter to deal with, the fact that Cree seems to be starting to suspect something (possibly related)-- no. That's all an issue for later. Right now he's sitting on an overcrowded bed in the inn, looking over Jester's shoulder as she writes a letter to Calianna and keeps up a running stream of happy chatter; she's been halfway in his lap since she initially sat down and asked for help with her hair ribboms, but damned if he's going to let the fact that he's starting to lose circulation get in the way of a good cuddle. On his other side is Caleb, either unbothered by or oblivious to Molly's arm lightly draped over his shoulder; he's absorbed in his reading, only responding to Nott as she looks on and intermittently asks questions about the text. At their feet, Frumpkin bats lazily at both tieflings' tails, claws sheathed, probably a little bored, but who knows with Frumpkin, really. Fjord, Beau, and Yasha are off to Pumat's, and if Molly knows Beau, she absolutely will bring back Jester's requested pastries. 

Gods, but they've earned this. With a contented hum, he rests his chin on top of Jester's head. She giggles. "Molly, if you mess up my handwriting, I'm telling Cali you made me fuck up!"

"Oh no!" Molly draws his head back in mock horror. "We can't have that, I'd be in terrible trouble.

"Too late," Jester informs him. "'Molly is being a horrible pest but we love him,'" she recites slowly, writing it out. "Take care of yourself, write soon, love, Jester." She sets the letter down beside her and leans back.

"You do, huh." Molly's voice is quiet and pleased; he'd hoped, but hearing it is so much better.

"Duh," Jester tells him, and snakes an arm around his middle. "You are very important to all of us and my very favorite purple weirdo. Of course we love you!"

"And you are all my favorite non-purple weirdos," Molly laughs. He gives Jester a squeeze, and one to Caleb on his other side for good measure. The wizard startles.

"Was, what, is something happening?"

"Not really, we're just being a couple of awful saps," Molly tells him. "If Beau were here we'd probably be making her sick."

"He said we're his favorite weirdos," Nott adds helpfully from Caleb's other side.

"You've got shit taste in weirdos then," Caleb replies, half on reflex at this point.

Nott huffs indignantly. "No he doesn't. He likes you, and Jester, and Beau--"

"Don't slander me like that," Molly protests. "Saying I like Beau. Good gods."

"You said," Nott insists. "Just now. And anyway, you told her she was like a sister, I specifically heard you say that earlier."

"If the Knot sisters taught me anything about having siblings it's that they're extremely annoying." Molly's grin betrays his theatrical griping. "Anyway, you've also said how full of shit I am, so why are you surprised? But I genuinely do love you all, and the others, and I refuse to be accused of bad taste in that regard. I mean, you've got me sitting still, for gods' sakes, and I haven't even complained about it."

"I don't know, that sounded like a complaint," Caleb says dryly. "But it is... nice, and admit, to have a break. And you are good people to spend it with, I think. You are all... important to me."

"Even though--" Jester begins. Caleb cuts her off.

"Jester if you start drawing dicks in my spellbook again I will consider rescinding that."

"I like it," Nott declares. "Our weird little group of... weirdos. Family of weirdos, maybe."

"Yes! We are totally a family, Nott!" Jester says happily, and reaches out her hand from across Molly to try and encircle Caleb and Nott with it as well. It distinctly doesn't work, her short arm flailing a bit in front of Caleb. "Actually can you come over here?"

Nott's forehead scrunches up. "What for? I'm watching Caleb read."

"I don't know, so I can give you a hug and braid your hair or something?"

"It is not like I am getting any reading done now anyway," Caleb points out, only halfheartedly exasperated.

Nott considers. "That sounds okay." She clambers across everyone's knees, only to be immediately scooped up by Jester. "Oh god! Help! Help, she's crushing me!" she screeches as Jester giggles.

"I do not think I can save you from this fate," Caleb says without looking up.

Molly shrugs as best he can with both his arms full. "Nope. Nothing we can do. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Nott grumbles incomprehensibly and stops mock-struggling, and Jester sets her down in front of her knees. "Okay, hold still," she instructs, and sits forward to work on Nott's hair.

"How about still-ish?" Nott asks doubtfully, already beginning to fidget.

"Still-ish is okay."

With Jester no longer occupying his left side, Molly stretches a little, and turns his attention to Caleb. "Whatcha reading about?" he asks, unable to see over Caleb's shoulder.

"I am researching the creation and modification of sending stones," Caleb says. "I have seen them used before, but the ones I had access to were, ah, less than secure. But if I could create some then even those of you who cannot use Message or Sending would be able to stay in touch over a distance, without wearing out any of your own magic."

"How long of a distance?"

"Any distance, though they can only be used once per day." Caleb runs his finger along the page. "It seems these are quite costly to create, but perhaps if we have a good payoff in the future, I might be able to make something work."

"Any distance." Molly's impressed, and his mind immediately goes to Yasha's frequent absences. "That sounds like an excellent idea. I'm for it."

"There are a lot of variables involved, and it seems there are some fiddly bits to the enchantment," Caleb continues, "but given time I think I could understand how to weave it."

"And then we can all talk to each other if we get split up, or if Yasha goes away, we can still hear from her!" Jester adds excitedly. There's something else in her voice, though, at the edges, and Molly reaches forward to ruffle her hair reassuringly. It's growing back, but it's still short from the damage done while taking down Lorenzo. "And if there are enough of them we can send one to my mom, and Cali, and Kiri..."

"I think it would perhaps take a very long time and a great deal of money to make that many stones, but I will see what we can do," Caleb replies. 

Jester's face falls. "That's okay. We just need to get super strong, and then we can do jobs that get us a whole bunch of money, and then we can make sure we always have as many sending stones and diamonds as we need." Then she finishes up Nott's braid, and brightens. "Nott, you look so pretty now!" 

"You think so?"

"Uh-huh! I am very good at braiding, you know. Maybe not makeup but I am getting better at that too." Jester straightens up. "I know! We can do Caleb's hair next!"

"Nein, I am reading--"

"Not really," remarks Molly.

"I am trying to read, and there is no room for you to work around Mollymauk--"

Molly quickly scoots forward to play with Frumpkin. Far be it from him to provide excuses to avoid delightful nonsense.

Nott nods along with Jester. "I haven't done flowers for you in a bit, it's probably a good idea..."

"Neither of you are of any help at all," Caleb says despairingly, and hunches forward in resignation as Nott and Jester maneuver around to flank him.

"You abandoned me to my fate earlier," Nott counters.

"She's got you there," Molly chimes in. 

Jester's answering giggle is infectious, and Nott is quick to succumb; Molly can't help but join in laughing either, and he throws a glance over his shoulder to see that Caleb, despite his protests, is smiling.

He knows he'd get bored, staying like this forever; they all would. But _damn_ is he glad to stay like this for now.

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of background headcanons/assumptions that I'm going with here:  
> \-- They got Molly back obviously, but they also accidentally got Lucien as a Lingering Soul in the same go and it was kind of a mess. I might do some more AU stuff with that later but how cool would it be if that's how it turned out in game? (Internal screaming.)  
> \-- Jester got a Dramatic Haircut not due to anything that happened while she was in captivity; rather, something took a chunk out of her hair while fighting her way out and she trimmed the rest to match. She's still working on making the ribbons work consistently until it gets longer again.  
> \-- Molly isn't a hair braiding target (yet) because his hair is too short (or alternately, if your hc runs counter to that, Jester probably got him first and he did not make any effort to stop her.)  
> \-- Fjord is off somewhere screaming internally because Yasha and Beau are so awkward about how much they like each other,
> 
> Also Sending Stones are lamer than I remembered them being, but Caleb is trying to improve on them somewhat (to be able to make them as a set rather than a pair, and so forth.) VM had the earrings only work short distance so I'd say the "once a day" restriction is a good balance in light of that. I'll hush about mechanics now.


End file.
